Spectroscopy, Photochemistry and Kinetics

Radical-molecule Kinetics

Radical-molecule reactions constitute a central
component of research in many areas of modern chemistry:

Organic Synthesis

Micro-electronics Fabrication

Aging Processes in Organisms

Studies of the Immune System

Catalytic Production/Destruction of Ozone

Combustion Processes

Production of Toxins in Urban/Regional Pollution

We pursue research in two domains. The first is the development
of methods to directly observe the kinetics of radical reactions
with molecules in the laboratory using infrared cavity ringdown
spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence, atomic resonance
scattering, Fourier transform spectroscopy, and photofragment fluorescence in
combination with “wall-less” high-pressure, low temperature flow systems,
slit-source pulsed super-sonic jet expansions, and cryogenic optical cells to
determine the reaction probability per collision over a broad range of
conditions. The second area of work focuses on the theoretical analysis
quantifying the entropic and enthalpic barrier to reaction derived from first
principles with the objective of both prediction and conceptual understanding
of the mechanisms controlling the barrier height.